Articles and News

HMI provides a graphical interface for Alfa Laval's decanter centrifuges and other equipment.

August U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $246.42 million, according to AMT.

Flowserve will add 16,000 square feet of manufacturing space to the existing Raleigh facility, to allow for new machine tools to manufacture large valve components.

Cognizant is a provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services.

The CNC market came to a dramatic halt in the last quarter of 2008 as a result of the global financial crisis, the bankrupt automotive sector, and collapse of oil prices.

ATOP engages students in the study of analytical instruments and emphasizes the instruments' use in safety, product analysis, product quality, and environmental monitoring and control.

Sourcebook provides a comprehensive selection of test, measurement, control, and calibration equipment.

Dresser had revenues of $2 billion and earnings of $318 million in 2009. GE bought Dresser for $3 billion.

Niagara Framework is integrating lighting, HVAC, continuous commissioning, security, fire monitoring and alarms at Environmental Systems' new headquarters building.

BEAP certification program recognizes individuals’ ability to audit and analyze residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

This guide supports engineers and electricians during the planning and installation phase of a SERCOS III network.

Eight-page, full-color, illustrated brochure describes the ControlMaster line of single and dual-loop universal process controllers and indicators.

By Philip Allen, Grace Engineered Products Is a thru-panel voltage detector a safety device or just another electrical gizmo? The answer is both.

The Machine Builder Program is part of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork framework.

Users can select a specific analytical solution by their parameter of choice: by industry, by compounds to be monitored, by known applications, or by model number.

Frost & Sullivan estimates the market for AC Fractional Horsepower (FHP) Motors in Europe will reach $1.82 billion by 2016.

R3 Sensors joined the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute (WCI) as a supplier member.

Non-contact torque sensors from Sensor Technology are playing a key role in the development of commercial-scale in-stream tidal turbines produced by Irish company, OpenHydro.

AIT will be organized as a standalone company within The Thompson Group. Financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

The two organizations signed a formal agreement to collaborate on efforts to advance and grow the automation profession.

In 1910, David Hudson and Alexander Sharp founded the company when they took over the shop and foundry of the Sectional Roll Co. and renamed it The Hudson-Sharp Machine Co.

The Baghdad office will supply process automation equipment to Iraq’s oil and gas industry, which is in the midst of re-construction.

eWON is opening a US subsidiary under the name eWON Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA. Dominique Blanc is the CEO.

By Grace Engineered Products Medium voltage indicators (2K-43KVolts) offer positive benefits because they keep workers away from voltage and provide an answer to the 'Is there voltage?' question.

Davern joined National Instruments in 1994 and has been serving as CFO and senior vice president of manufacturing and IT operations since 2002.

Subcontractors Raytheon, the University of Virginia, and Georgia Tech join effort to neutralize software vulnerabilities in security-critical applications.

N-TRON makes rugged industrial networking components and Ethernet switches.

The ABB Robotics training lab features 29 ABB robots and related work cells, software and controllers.

Robert M. Auman was Vice President of worldwide sales. Auman has been with the company since 1986.

Bow Networks is a developer of substation automation and security software.

ISA Automation Week 2011: Technology and Solutions Event will be held at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in Mobile, Alabama, USA, on 17-20 October, 2011.

The three will promote the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for students in kindergarten through high school (K-12).

The 2011 Catalog showcases more than 120,000 products from over 300 suppliers.

Site Controls is a provider of enterprise-wide energy management solutions for multi-site commercial businesses.

By Don Morrison, Honeywell Process Solutions Key misconceptions are based on the common shortcomings of traditional model predictive control: complexity of configuration, speed of execution, interpretation of noise in the system, and over-active movement of the final control element. But an intelligently implemented MPC strategy can result in increased plant efficiencies over PID.

By Dr Peter Harrop, IDTechEx Energy harvesting is the conversion of ambient energy into electricity to drive small or mobile electronic and electrical devices.

Major investments in the electric utility and water and wastewater sectors will drive the European supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) market.

ATEX Zone 1 approval allows the T-BOX WM Wireless Monitor to operate in an atmosphere where a mixture of air and flammable substances exist.

White paper explains how advanced intelligent motor control centers (MCCs) provide process application users with critical information that ultimately helps minimize – and prevent – downtime.

Innovasic's System on a Chip solution enables integration of EtherNet/IP in APAX-5000 series PACs.

Siemens will peform lighting, building automation and HVAC retrofits and upgrades to some 71 county buildings and recreational facilities.

By Mubeen Almoustafa, Flow Dynamics Inc In order to be confident that a meter is accurately measuring the flow volume or mass, it must be recalibrated on a periodic basis.

Shauiba Refinery in Kuwait converted 1,750 mechanical traps to GEM Venturi Orifice design. The hot condensate header pressure dropped from highs of 175 psig to just 90 psig.

Technical reference guide provides comprehensive information and data for selecting magmeter liners, electrodes, and grounding rings.

A recently enacted US Minerals Management Service (MMS) mandate stipulates that all domestic US offshore rigs processing more than an average 2000 bopd must install flare/vent gas flow meters.

Yokogawa will be supplying CENTUM VP control systems, ProSafe-RS safety instrumented systems, device management software packages, and a simulator.

ZWCAD Professional is the first application based on the IntelliCAD software targeted for integration with the D-Cubed 2D DCM (Dimensional Constraint Manager).

Opera motor design software package is helping Air Bearings extend the speed of spindle motors beyond 400,000 RPM.

UK-based machine builder installed Beijer iX Panel HMIs on an industrial oven and a food handling and conveyor system.

The IEEE 1588 Conformity Alliance will advocate and certify the "Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems."

ISA is now accepting applications for its 2011 ISA Educational Foundation Scholarships.

As technology evolves, users are now moving beyond mainstream monitoring applications to gain the benefits of wireless measurements for control in harsh and remote environments.

Emerson’s Smart Wireless solutions have been certified by NIST to meet government Federal Information Processing Standard-197 (FIPS-197) requirements.

At the 2010 Emerson Global Users Exchange conference, Emerson demonstrated the latest results of its commitment to using innovative technology to reduce the complexity of customers' jobs.

Replacing traditional wired network with wireless for control and monitoring has improved operations and worker safety in harsh environment.

Turley will be responsible for managing the Controls Engineering Department including management of hardware & software design and all field support activities.

The video describes how vibration testing with a Fluke 810 can be the first step in a more proactive approach to mechanical maintenance.

Fox is responsible for all Velocity Series software products which include Solid Edge software, Teamcenter Express software, Femap software and CAM Express.

ARC expects the high power AC drives market to experience healthy growth during the forecast period through 2014.

So far, 2010 has not shown significant growth over 2009, but it looks like conditions are gradually improving.

Automation.com, September 2010 Honeywell Process Solutions India organized its annual User Meet on 30th & 31st Aug 2010 at Madh Island, Mumbai on the theme of ‘Optimize. Innovate. Sustain.’ The event saw an overwhelming participation from companies across all industry segments and focused on providing solutions to increase business performance & protect automation investments.

Vitrociset will integrate NI hardware and software into its service packages for organizations developing sophisticated physics projects such as particle accelerators and fusion devices.

Sarla Technologies will offer Performix xMES Software Suite within India and the Middle East region.

Engineering, R&D and Demonstration lab to be housed on N.C. State University’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh

Invensys will implement its SimSci-Esscor ROMeo optimization software to improve the real-time performance of Thai Oil’s refinery operations.

292 page catalog contains more than 100 new products.

Four-page full-color brochure covers the Safety 2600T pressure transmitter.

Midwest Representatives is now representing Advanced Micro Controls Inc (AMCI) in the Michigan area.

Paul Davis Automation (PDA) represents Advanced Micro Controls in Ohio, Kentucky, and Western Pennsylvania areas.

ABB supplied a System 800xA process control system, field instrumentation, motor control centers, motors and variable speed drives to Gulf Industrial Investment, Bahrain.

Fluke will donate $65,000 worth of test instruments to schools and training programs for teaching students to diagnose and repair sophisticated industrial process control systems.

Tridium's Niagara Framework is driving real-time energy management and control of Glenborough's 12-story Class-A commercial office, and providing energy usage data to guide daily decision making.

Viscomaster meter improves fuel efficiency by accurately measuring viscosity, density and temperature of the heavy fuel oil (HFO) that supplies the vessel's main and auxiliary engines.

Minute is based in Milano, Italy, and will provide support and consulting services to Adeneo Embedded’s Italian customers.

Path enables process plants to upgrade entire instrumentation and control design systems from Smart Plant Instrumentation (SPI/INtools) to AVEVA's Instrumentation technology.

FDT 2.0 includes.NET and FDT Express development environments.

Larry Taylor is director of European standards development and the head of the European office located in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

ABB appointed Joe Campbell vice president of its US Robot Products Group. He was VP of sales & marketing.

SampleManager LIMS is used to manage more than 150,000 samples per year taken from reservoirs, water treatment works and directly from the taps in consumers’ homes.

Gigabit Managed Switches with 6 port 10/100/1000T and 2 SFP ports will be deployed in Jordan state security & surveillance applications.

Free Board Support Packages (BSPs) have a fully integrated Wireless stack for the PTI FlashBoard on Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact.

This free seminar and hands-on workshop will teach you how to apply analytics and extract intelligence from your real-time and historical data with GE Intelligent Platforms' Proficy software — driving significant improvements to your operations, regardless of your existing systems.

ABB supplied gearless mill drives, System 800xA controls, and 650 high-efficiency motors and variable speed drives.

The two will develop an integrated process to monitor, test and manage emergency shutdown valves (ESDV) during all operational conditions, from normal plant operations to abnormal situations.

This group will provide best practices and overall guidance for the connectivity of thousands of legacy machine tools in manufacturing shops around the globe.

Updates improve test performance, tool usability and technician productivity.

Höfðatorg installed HME-623 Ethernet switches and HUE-800 unmanaged Ethernet switches. HME-623s serve three floors in the Towers, while HUE-800s are distributed on the floors.

ABB will provide the electrical and automation system for six underground mine incline conveyors for Newcrest Mining s Cadia East gold and copper project in southeastern Australia.

SME will acquire all outstanding shares of Tooling U, a provider of online training for the manufacturing industry.

OPC and MTConnect will cooperate in developing standards called MTConnectOpcUa.

Industrial Automation North America will occur September 10–15, 2012, alongside the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2012 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.

IMS Research says POWERLINK and PROFINET are the most used industrial Ethernet protocols for transferring machine and sensor data in true real-time.

Six-page color brochure covers ABB's scalable device management tools: Asset Vision Professional, Asset Vision Basic, Mobility handhelds, and the local instrument HMI.

OSI will supply multiple SCADA and Energy Management Systems to upgrade Gas, Water, and Electric system operations.

The Bosch Rexroth site features product configuration tools, technical documents, product updates and other useful information.

OpsManage’10 shows will be held in Orlando; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea; Taipei, Taiwan; Paris, France; and São Paulo, Brazil.

This maintenance agreement is a continuation from the current agreement.

The interactive line card includes pop-up “Selection Hints” that link to technical product information on Moore Industries’ web site.

JBBS junction bricks for AS-interface networks are now FM approved for Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D hazardous locations.

The contest introduces students to the world of automation, and the winning team will present their project at the TectoYou Hall at the Hanover Fair (Hannover Messe) in Germany next spring.

New members include companies from all of PMMI's membership categories: 10 general members, 4 supplier members, 1 materials member and 1 processing member.

Nikon Metrology (NMI) will provide JGR with sophisticated microscopy products, technical advice and support.

Gary Tilley is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ZTEC Instruments.

Java-based solution puts real-time data from industrial processes into a mobile phone or other Android-based device, using the OPC DataHub from Cogent Real-Time Systems.

Exida certified the product reliability, design and engineering processes for the Flowserve Valtek Series controls as SIL 3 capable per International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508.

exida certified the Rosemount 3051S pressure transmitter with HART diagnostics as Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 capable per IEC 61508.

Simatic S7-1200 controllers will automate the Bench Scale Hydrolyzer System at Penn State.

Dresser will supply an additional $10 million in control valves to China Nuclear Power Engineering Company for Ningde, Yangjiang and Fangchenggang nuclear power plants.

FANUC FA America Corporation represents the FA (Factory Automation) division of FANUC Ltd. Japan.

Seven PressureGuard systems, which require no external power source, will protect the gas storage reservoir by closing gate valves when a high or low pressure threshold has been reached.

July U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $266.08 million, up 58.9% compared with 2009.

The two companies will work on connectivity between their respective controller platforms through open communication technologies, such as the EtherNet/IP and FL Net protocols.

Shoemaker will manage sales and customer service of automatic and semi-automatic stretch wrapping products throughout the West Coast.

ACE is an independent systems integration firm that focuses on clients in the machine/process, plant, and enterprise industries.

“Mastering Cascade Control” is designed to help technicians and engineers implement and troubleshoot split-range control applications.

This trend will be due to growing investments in the infrastructure and manufacturing industries worldwide, and pressure from industry to deploy sustainability solutions that save energy.

Invensys Operations Management is supplying its EYESIM and DYNSIM solutions to the NETL and the United States Department of Energy to facilitate development and training for clean-coal plant operations.

The pilot plant uses DeltaV S-series controllers with Electronic Marshalling, HART I/O, Smart Wireless communications, sensors and transmitters, digital control valves, and Coriolis meters.

Edmund Optics improved its manufacturing capability for aspheric lenses.

Fifty years and 11,000 machines since its start, Hartwig today employs more than 120 people in eight office locations, and serves 15 states in the Mountain and Midwest U.S.

Brochure describes the FSM4000 electromagnetic flowmeter designed to combine the advantages of AC and DC magnetic exitation.

By Siemens A Siemens Sinamics S120 drive and Simotion D drive platform were used in the rebuilding of a 30-year-old binding system at Arandell, a magazine and catalog printer in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Geris Engenharia e Serviços offers technical engineering services, particularly for the oil and gas industry and electricity producers and suppliers.

By SmartTCP Applications at NPK Construction Equipment and ACSS, a structural steel fabricator, show that robots, gantries, positioners, welding controllers and software can automate small batch welding.

FactoryLOOK software monitors, alerts and correlates manufacturer’s data while tracking the customer’s manufacturing processes.

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Awards will be presented on 4 October 2010 to recognize Society service, technical accomplishments, contributions to education and individual achievements.

By Rush LaSelle, Adept Technology Robot automation allows packagers to increase production, consistency, and reliability while improving working conditions and allowing manufacturers to quickly change to more eco friendly packaging materials and options.

As part of the A2LA assessment, Keithley has also been accredited to the new ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 American standard.

The switches will be used as the communications hub for command and control systems on a range of vehicles including unmanned air and ground vehicles.

Testing for solar photovoltaic (PV) applications ensures that Weidmuller terminals can withstand a continuous voltage of 1000 VDC under all climatic conditions.

This catalog describes the capabilities of FMI to meet the demanding needs of the Medical, Analytical, Process and Industrial markets for Ultra-Precise Fluid Control from Microliters to Liters.

The SECHE Group and its subsidiary TREDI will use PcVue for its plants, including household and industrial waste incineration plants, and biogas power plants.

Wick joins PPT VISION from Honeywell International's Microelectronics & Precision Sensors business, where he most recently served as global director of sales.

A TorqSense non-contact sensor is used on the rig, which runs test motors against a 22kW DC spindle motor controlled by a Sprint Electric four quadrant DC drive.

Wallflower will use Lanner’s LEC-7900 digital signage platform, capable of running 3 streams of video.

HSI Sensing will appear on the “World’s Greatest!” TV show on September 14 and 15, 2010.

Enough has been written during the past couple years to convince most plant managers of the benefits of connecting plant floor equipment and processes to the Internet or Intranet. So, now that we're all convinced of the benefits of web-enabled automation, what pieces and parts are required to put this technology to work?

The 1,200 page full color catalog covers HVAC Controls, Actuators, Pressure Gauges, Humidity Sensors, Temperature Assemblies, Analytical Instruments, Combustion Controls, and Automation Systems.

Flow-Cal Enterprise software will replace DCP’s legacy measurement system as well as combine gas and liquid measurements in a single system.

Newmont Mining Corporation selects ABB to design three gearless mill drive systems for their new high-altitude copper gold project in Peru.

Called ‘The Formula for Automated Payback,’ the guide contains all the details needed to create a simple procedure that demonstrates payback on an installation.

GE will develop a software-based platform based on Proficy software and PACSystems controllers that improves decision making capabilities across a water system.

Catalyst xM and Catalyst PDC will provide specialty chemical producer HallStar with the ability to fully automate batch execution and electronic batch record management.

PAS updated the book to incorporate ideas presented in the ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009 standard, including a summary of the standard’s scope, regulatory impact, requirements and other details. Price: $89.95

eLynx Technologies will integrate Theta’s XSPOC rod pump optimization and SCADA software with SCADALynx web-based SCADA application.

The Alliance Network develops and commercializes a bio-secure, scalable, climate adaptive and cost effective system to recycle industrial CO2 emissions.

Lion Precision will develop a smart sensor and the associated communication protocols to monitor valve position and wear.

Only 37 percent of manufacturing business leaders report that their companies will increase hiring in the next six months.

Microchip Technology announced that it sold its one millionth development tool during the 14th annual Worldwide MASTERs Conference,

A free copy of FlowStone Graphical Programming Language for real-time Digital Signal Processing (DSP) can be downloaded online.

The current year, 2010, looks to be even more grueling for control valve suppliers as they continue to face soft global demand, this time without the support of a healthy backlog.

Magnetic Analysis is relocating to a larger plant at 103 Fairview Park Drive in Elmsford, New York. The move is scheduled for early fall of 2010.

Drivers allow direct control through LabVIEW of the Techno motion controller for pick and place, dispensing, assembly, testing, drilling, routing, welding, inspection and general automation.

By Software Advice This detailed Excel spreadsheet outlines the core features that you should consider as you develop your ERP software requirements. Rate ERP software systems against each feature based on the detailed definitions of each feature to create a side-by-side comparison matrix.

NI myDAQ portable instrumentation device makes it possible for students to experience engineering outside of the lab, in their dorm room or anywhere they choose, at any time.

UniversalPegasus will become a System Integrator of HIMA safety products in energy-related applications.

The channel is populated with 80 product videos, training webinars and much more.

The Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) appointed Christian Schlegel and Laurent Schmitt to its supervisory board.

ABB will design and supply a host of power equipment, including air-insulated medium-voltage switchgear and power transformers.

The existing distributed control system will be replaced at Perstorp's plant in Sweden The project will be Europe’s first installation of version 11 of DeltaV.

Tata Consultancy Services successfully completed the control system group audit for the period 2010 – 2013.

Sims Engineering Ltd is now able to remotely monitor and control an industrial robot welding machine using secure Broadband and 3G connections.

The ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute announced certifications of six ISA100.11a wireless devices.

RMT Robotics will supply a fleet of ADAM intelligent AGVs to Hanwha TechM in South Korea.

The centre will work with oil and gas owner operators to design and deploy asset management software solutions.

Grand prize winners are the Duke Energy Center, Charlotte, N.C., and the Iowa Central Community College, Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Acroma used the Spraytec laser diffraction particle size analyzer to help optimize the application of water-based furniture coatings.

exida certified the Emerson DeltaV SIS process safety system as Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 capable per IEC 61508.

Included are data loggers that can measure temperature, humidity, voltage, current among other parameters.

By Honeywell FCFC wanted to overcome having to take manual temperature measurements on three of its rotary machines. Using a “starter kit.” the company was provided with an introduction to industrial wireless solutions and opened the door for future plant and company adoption.

Previous to joining Racine Federated, Tracy was National Accounts Manager for MSC Industrial Supply.

Complete documentation—including software, Gerber files, MATLAB models, Webinars and application notes—can be downloaded for free from Microchip’s Web site.

The valves will be used in the first of two AP1000 pressurized water reactors at the Sanmen and Haiyang nuclear power plants in China.

The site delivers useful content and applications aimed squarely at helping customers advance the sustainability of their buildings.

The factory will supply wind power generators, a crucial component in wind turbines, for the growing Indian and global markets.

Technical Marketing Specialists in Greenwood Village, CO, will handle New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

This edition features new sections including in-depth explanations of resolution vs. accuracy, natural binary vs. gray code, and how to choose an encoder.

The Fusion Management Information System solution will link to an Emerson DeltaV system and replace the current PRISM system.

The project requires the relocation of control panels and rewiring of entire skids for two Pratt & Whitney GG3s at the compressor stations.

Catalog provides applications guidance and installation tips for devices measuring pH, ORP, pION, conductivity and resistivity, DO, Turbidity, as well as free and total Chlorine.

Bulk fuel terminal owner/operators will make investments to upgrade their automation systems, driving the market at above average rates over the next several years

Most recently, he was Lean Sigma Champion, Global Operations for an electronic manufacturing services company.

Catalog covers TURCK’s complete line of powerfast products, including cordsets, connectors, tees, splitters and receptacles rated for up to 30 Amps and 600 Volts.

Series 686B meets ATEX and CSA approval requirements for use in hazardous environments.

Components of the SIS include a PLC logic solver, ABB 2600T pressure transmitters, and pneumatically actuated ball valves.

Emerson has a number of development, production and sales centers mainly in the United States and in other areas, including Mexico, People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom.

Jakob Graphic Services used the Kollmorgen Automation Suite software package to control its jumbo roll collator.

GE Energy supplied a Mark VIe Triple Modular Redundant (TMR) turbine control system to NextEra Energy's Seabrook Station.

Hunter licensed the DEACOM Integrated Accounting and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software System to manage all its business processes.

ASCON Group's KOMPAS-3D CAD and DP Technology's ESPRIT CAM software now work together as CAD/CAM.

ABB flowmeters cut steam losses and recovered more than $1.25 million a year in lost revenues.

The Ignition Module Software Development Kit (SDK) is now available for free via the Inductive Automation website.

Prior to joining CygNet, Rowley was director of quality assurance for Wonderware’s supervisory control and HMI products.

ATCC staff members will complete a Rockwell Automation train-the-trainer course, which will allow ATCC to offer five certified Rockwell Automation training courses to students.

OSI will provide a large-scale EMS and SCADA system for control and monitoring of a distribution system that serves more than 233,000 meters across Texas.

By Mark Howard, Zettlex Paper describes why inductive transducers are chosen for the toughest jobs, how they operate and why a new generation of inductive devices is taking over.

The well-known reference book, published in its 9th German edition last year, is now available in English language for students as well as experienced engineers.

WAGO 758 Series IPCs are managing solar energy for Tûranor PlanetSolar, the world’s largest solar-powered boat.

Chairman of the PLCopen PC1 Committee Ralf Wohlschläger resigned.